November 07, 2006

Abstract: - Australian adults believe one global concern should be a pressing priority for every government, according to a poll by Roy Morgan International. 22 per cent of respondents think protecting the environment should be the most important goal for the leaders of the world.

- Australian adults believe one global concern should be a pressing priority for every government, according to a poll by Roy Morgan International. 22 per cent of respondents think protecting the environment should be the most important goal for the leaders of the world.

Eliminating extreme poverty and hunger is second on the list with 19 per cent, followed by closing the gap between rich and poor countries and the war on terrorism with nine per cent each, reducing wars and conflicts with eight per cent, and improving and maintaining human rights with seven per cent.

In 1998, several countries agreed to the Kyoto Protocol, a proposed amendment to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The agreement commits nations to reduce their emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. Australia has not ratified the Kyoto Protocol.

On Nov. 3, Australian prime minister John Howard explained his rationale to refuse a carbon emissions trading scheme, saying, "The difficulty as I see it with that approach, is that, in order to preserve our comparative advantage, we'd have to in some way exempt our coal exports and our other resource exports. If we did that, we might run the risk of imposing a disproportionately heavy burden on our domestic consumers, which could result in even higher electricity prices."

On Nov. 4, a series of public marches called Walk Against Warming drew more than 42,000 people in Melbourne and Sydney. Australian Labor Party (ALP) environment spokesman Anthony Albanese said his political organization would ratify the Kyoto Protocol if it forms the next government.

Polling Data

Which of these do you think should be the most important priority for the leaders of the world?

Protecting the environment	22%
Eliminating extreme poverty and hunger in the world	19%
Closing the gap between rich and poor countries	9%
The War on Terrorism	9%
Reducing wars and conflicts	8%
Improving / Maintaining human rights	7%
Restoring trust and honesty in government, in business and in international institutions	6%
Encouraging economic growth and improving the global economy	6%
Overcoming AIDS and other serious health issues	4%
Overcoming the drug problem and drug trafficking	4%
Promoting full equality for women around the world	1%
Integrating more social issues into the agenda	1%
Reducing global organized crime	1%
Can't say	2%

Source: Roy Morgan International
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 934 Australians, ages 14 and up, conducted from Oct. 24 to Oct. 26, 2006. No margin of error was provided.